The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-27
NORWICH PILLARS OF FIRE
NOW YANKEE BoYs STILL REarEMBER
CUR FAWKES AND HIS PLOT.

ine-A venernbie Ancient Yankc e Custens.
NORWICH, Nov. 22.--For six weeks or moro
every Norwich boy whose health il good has
been trundling empty barrels, kegs, and casks
through the streets OF this city. The work
goes on at intervals all day and until late AZ
night. Now o solitary barrel, impelled By the
kicks Of o single, lusty urchin.' cavorts over the
sidewalk, and a few moments later q whole
squadron, with q score OF boys to steer them.
bound and frolic by, making hollow music on
the stone flags. The barrels are on their way
to the Thanksgiving pyres. On Thursday even
ing every hill top OF this old town, Of whIoh
Norwich has as many and lofty ones
as has the Eternal City, will blaze with
points Of juvenile jubilations In the closing
eremon for the greatest day in the New Eng
land boys year. What Christmas is to the
New York boy Thanksgiving Day is to the YAM
kee lad. and q supplement Of bliss thrown In at
the same price. It Is tho only. day in the calen-
dar In which he Is at liberty to stuff himself 50
full Of roast turkey and the "hxin's." mince
and pumpkin pies. raisins and nuts, that no
nightmare is able to carry him OF In its saddle;
and II, in addition to the feast. there is either
skating or c~oastinR his cup Of Joy is 30 full that
1t runs over. and the drips are retrospective
sweetness to him until Christmas time.
As early rs the first day of October he begins
to make plans for the day, and his first and
central fancy naturally turns to barrels. From
that time onward to the festivafno mans bar.
rel in this town is safe. An evil spirit seems
to possess 1t. II q boy passes It in the sober.
est style in the world. II he 90 much as casts
one coquettinR sidelong glanos that way, ih-
stantly the barrel begins to dance n rattle,
and II no one Is watching and the youngster
rubs up against 1t, 1t gives q sudden hop. top
pies over on its side and scurries ava OF
course tho boy has to follow II to kick IL
straight when It gets askew on its rumbling
course and to keep It from prancinR against
pedestrians: and It invariably happens that
the boy has to drive 1t into Its lair before II
will submit to government. There is little use
Of attempting to control a barrel after 1t has
contracted the Thanksgiving fever, and the
owner looks forward resignedlyt to its inevitable
desertion from him.. Itlooks very singular to q
stranger coming into this town at this season
to see barrels rolling of In every direction.
and staid citizens skipping nimbly and good.
humoredly out Of the way Of the procession.
He cannot account for the phenomenon. II
he is q commercial traveller he stops the first
boy who. is rolling a barrel, as did a Boston
man q night or two ago. and Inquiries:
soin nsy With i0n an t,he @na barr eR ~ "nefe are you
And the boy replies, innocently:,
b1o SS' to nos u; nor s5rs1 nothin inG Found Dario It f HSas
up the street and run it in Say, there, Jimmy
Gi Xnd ae T, { lif sv bstssr he &c, G WhoIs e5mpan, are
of, kicking the whfrlinR spheres swiftly into
the darkness OF e side street.
from the opening ofthe campaign to it's finish
by thorough discipline INSTRUMENTATION and Q
F hffasty ali Hlef sPs bd 81 The ,5 5,sat sr es es sSem ssalsa;
t sasb a toess +; { asG aiS =aSasRspsssp Ps l 6riksa s1tss s tBa
law that is at least aoolgsars old. forbids tho
bands to trespass on territory not assigned to
5 then at b Tss H }Hifi IT, s sHsssErs If So snss Of p1 Pfssi:
dent dc t. Cleveland; w va grandf mam was 3 bar.
at Greenyille, and the rest are scattered about
70 ITS IT'S soRseRs; e eaiied pt the HONE TIT e' Bass.5 pane, aSna
to each ts ASSIGNED the hill on which tho stacks
are to 6.m burned. tb The bd p%rel lin In Eyr arr r;9S :
will to get their barrels together. Last year
was q poor season. and not more than 1900
ton Of all the boys in town. but, this, year the
crop Is abundant, and next Thursday niEht
heayenward gigantic pillars Of fire and smoke.
The custom Of burning bonfres on Thanks
SlEis4is is siiE oss is p pse Z ODscu r te II s ssTp, c ona i;
was u boy, and into the sport be entered with
IS inI mentionsa IN i%f The arsiy e sR% Helts'n q Ner:
witch; and Miss Caulkins, a local historian, do:
s 3 sdIsm q t aeEst SnSSu Wba 6 1et%een be N roh S ahn
Of his barrel, In which Arnold, stripped Of
his I1sbt coat Man and .tts dared the hSyo big essn man m,d e
by local antiquarians to trace the custom
to its source. but yainly; the only plausible
fise shsa pr essays y In 'q tbs I'm Il towns OWN = q 9r tSe
early il, November to cselebrate thes, miscarriage
cd at that period at about Nov. 5 the custom
iasi ihfsn its wa. f ios nh and thSt |: a a1ssf im ass orisdi
into this town BY the first settlers 2 little after
th sa Rid aSe % IF sss iSsYsntsen rIte oe dftsrs import.
antly from the Norwich spirit in that brush
was burned instead Of barrel stacks. There is
seots, but . barrel fire Is an elaborate and
senius 8, e% aseiaa9 N g pfiS66ueri is o. make sas ' a fotls
tact, talent. and constructive, abilities. Tho
which the barrels are to be strung like siSni
beads ssis and {ow this A.. uSSs ssdIs &, t. , cut and
55ss 'fiF FS% E;nqst f., !, snaai i'.n lsss a,st .Ssss;
dozen sturdy boys; On ThanksgiylnE pay
which it is to do duty, ,whereon scores OF citi-
zens haye gathored to lend a hand IN erecting
the BtuH, or furnish inc necessary aQVl6Ory rN~
marks to the workers. The barrels are quickly
hung about the pole. and then comes the har~
which has already been prepared for 1t. With
R iHnS sdGe Eager f hands st t@ hslp. the S great f hnodlloss
stack goes, slowly up. the barrels croaking and
itself swaying threateningly at the toiling pig
mics at is base. At last II reaches the 6alan-
heavy mufled "ker.glump." and the worst q
tho rim OF the hole.is shoyelled In and tamped
solidly down. and the boys and spectators walk
of six rods and inspect the structure. Next
cans q kerosene are emptied over the bottom
barrels: shavinRs. saturated with oil, are piled
inside; q few parting pats lind shakes bring
refractory barrels Into position, and make the
everything is ready for the evening fun.
1t Ia great fun to burn a barrel stack, and the
boys can hardly wait In patience for the coming
Of dusk. But It comes at lust the right time.
about an hour. and a half after dinner has been
eaten and the boys have partly rcGained their
temporarily, suspended pliancy Of body. Tfs
lamps have hardly been lighted In the houses,
the quiet, dusty streets have barely grown gray
emn faces of the big Illuminated City Hall